Recommendations & Conclusions
74 items
62
Conclusion
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Protocols to share data between public bodies involved in the response were too slow to establish and to become functional. This was especially true in the data flows from national to local government.
Government response AI summary
The government proposes that arrangements should be established and tested to allow immediate data flows between relevant bodies during an emergency, including a mechanism for dispute resolution.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
68
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Arrangements should be established and tested to allow immediate flows of data between bodies relevant to an emergency response with a mechanism to resolve immediately and decisively any disputes.
Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation, stating UKHSA will work with partners to improve data sharing agreements, ensuring GDPR compliance and data security.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
70
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
The Government and the NHS should consider establishing a volunteer reserve database so that volunteers who have had appropriate checks can be rapidly called up and deployed in an emergency rather than needing to begin from scratch.
Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation and is exploring options for establishing a volunteer reserve database for rapid deployment in future emergencies. NHS England is collaborating with the Royal Voluntary Service and St John Ambulance to develop rapid volunteer deployment methods.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
71
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
The experience of the demands placed on the NHS during the covid-19 pandemic should lead to a more explicit, and monitored, surge capacity being part of the long term organisation and funding of the NHS.
Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation, stating that NHS England is developing proposals for explicit, monitored surge capacity plans within the NHS, considering staff, beds, and equipment, which will be incorporated into routine planning and funding.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
72
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
The NHS should develop and publish new protocols for infection prevention and control in pandemics covering staffing, bed capacity and physical infrastructure. In developing these protocols the NHS should consider the importance of maintaining access for people accompanying some patients such as advocates for people with learning disabilities and birthing …
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The NHS should develop and publish new protocols for infection prevention and control in pandemics covering staffing, bed capacity and physical infrastructure. In developing these protocols the NHS should consider the importance of maintaining access for people accompanying some patients such as advocates for people with learning disabilities and birthing partners.
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation, stating NHS England is committed to developing and publishing new protocols for infection prevention and control, and will consider maintaining access for patient companions.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
73
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Comprehensive analysis should be carried out to assess the safety of running the NHS with the limited latent capacity that it currently has, particularly in Intensive Care Units, critical care units and high dependency units.
Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation and confirms NHS England is undertaking comprehensive analysis to assess the safety of the NHS's limited latent capacity, which will inform future surge capacity plans.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
74
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Building on the experience of staff working more flexibly during the pandemic and to enable more flexible staffing in the NHS, NHS England and Health Education England should develop proposals to better enable NHS staff to change clinical specialty mid-career and train in sub-specialties. 32 Coronavirus: lessons learned to date …
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Building on the experience of staff working more flexibly during the pandemic and to enable more flexible staffing in the NHS, NHS England and Health Education England should develop proposals to better enable NHS staff to change clinical specialty mid-career and train in sub-specialties. 32 Coronavirus: lessons learned to date 3 Lockdowns and social distancing
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation, stating NHS England and Health Education England are collaborating to develop proposals for enabling NHS staff to change clinical specialty mid-career and train in sub-specialties.
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
108
Conclusion
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Another potential reason for the late lockdown was the behavioural advice that was being tendered to the Government. Behavioural advice is tendered to the Government through SAGE’s sub-group, the Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours (SPI- B).168 SPI-B’s first publicly known input into SAGE was on 25 February 2020 on …
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Another potential reason for the late lockdown was the behavioural advice that was being tendered to the Government. Behavioural advice is tendered to the Government through SAGE’s sub-group, the Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours (SPI- B).168 SPI-B’s first publicly known input into SAGE was on 25 February 2020 on the risk of public disorder.169
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Government response AI summary
The government commits to a future policy development approach characterized by greater questioning and challenge of scientific advice. Ministers will be more robust in challenging advice, and the government and SAGE will facilitate strong external and structured challenge, including from international experts and a wider …
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
109
Conclusion
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
The initial action plan did not consider the possibility of ceasing all non-essential contact. Dominic Cummings told us that the idea of behavioural fatigue was a part of “false groupthink”: One of the critical things that was completely wrong in the whole official thinking in SAGE and in the Department …
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The initial action plan did not consider the possibility of ceasing all non-essential contact. Dominic Cummings told us that the idea of behavioural fatigue was a part of “false groupthink”: One of the critical things that was completely wrong in the whole official thinking in SAGE and in the Department of Health in February/March was, first of all, the British public would not accept a lockdown and, secondly, the British public would not accept what was thought of as an east Asian-style track and trace-type system and the infringements of liberty around that.170 The then Secretary of State for Health and Social Care also indicated to us in June 2021 that “the clear advice at the time was that there was only a limited period that people would put up with it—would put up with lockdown.”171 On 9 March 2020, Professor Chris Whitty told a Government press conference: It is not just a matter of what you do but when you do it. Anything we do, we have got to be able to sustain. Once we have started these things we have to continue them through the peak and that is for a period of time, and there is a risk that, if we go too early, people will understandably get fatigued and it will be difficult to sustain this over time.172 Further, on 10 March 2020, SAGE said that: 166 Oral evidence taken before the Science and Technology Committee on 3 November 2020, HC (2019–21) 136, Q1438 167 Imperial College London, Report 9—impact on non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to reduce COVID-19 mortality and healthcare demand, 16 March 2020; and BBC News, ‘Coronavirus: UK changes course amid death toll fears’, accessed 17 September 2021 168 GOV.UK, ‘List of participants of SAGE and related sub-groups’, accessed 17 September 2021 169 SPI-B, Risk of public disorder, 25 February 2020 170 Q1002 171 Q1294 172 10 Downing Street YouTube channel, PM Boris Johnson holds a press conference on coronavirus: 9 March 2020, timestamp 8:04, accessed 17 September 2021 Coronavirus: lessons learned to dat
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Government response AI summary
The government committed to ensuring future policy development is characterised by greater questioning and challenge, with Ministers taking a robust approach to advice and the government/SAGE facilitating strong external challenge from diverse disciplines and international experts.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
111
Conclusion
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
The restrictions eventually imposed on the UK public because of the pandemic were unprecedented. Even in wartime there had been no equivalent of the order to make it a criminal offence for people to meet each other and to remain in their homes other than for specified reasons. In advance, …
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The restrictions eventually imposed on the UK public because of the pandemic were unprecedented. Even in wartime there had been no equivalent of the order to make it a criminal offence for people to meet each other and to remain in their homes other than for specified reasons. In advance, it may not have been unreasonable to assume that the public would have a limited tolerance of such draconian restrictions. But that assumption turned out to be wrong. In the event, compliance with social distancing measures was at a level and for a duration beyond what was anticipated. If a belief that people would not comply delayed a full lockdown, and caused an initially limited set of non-pharmaceutical interventions to be adopted, this was a poor guide to policy. Was scientific advice sufficiently internationally diverse?
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Government response AI summary
The government commits to a future policy development approach characterized by greater questioning and challenge of scientific advice. Ministers will be more robust in challenging advice, and the government and SAGE will facilitate strong external and structured challenge, including from international experts and a wider …
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
112
Conclusion
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
We have referred to early evidence from Dr Richard Horton, the Editor of the Lancet, who was concerned that SAGE in its early months was taking insufficient account of international perspectives. At the time he gave his evidence, Dr Horton, like the rest of the public, was not aware of …
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We have referred to early evidence from Dr Richard Horton, the Editor of the Lancet, who was concerned that SAGE in its early months was taking insufficient account of international perspectives. At the time he gave his evidence, Dr Horton, like the rest of the public, was not aware of the membership of SAGE. Now we are, and it is notable that 173 GOV.UK, SAGE 14, 10 March 2020 174 GOV.UK, SAGE 16, 16 March 2020 175 Office for National Statistics, ‘Coronavirus and the social impacts on behaviours during different lockdown periods, Great Britain: up to February 2021’, accessed 17 September 2021 176 Oral evidence taken before the Science and Technology Committee on 3 November 2020, HC (2019–21) 136, Q1517 46 Coronavirus: lessons learned to date of the 87 people listed as having participated in at least one meeting of SAGE, all bar one person (Dr Pasi Penttinen, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control) are from UK institutions.177
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Government response AI summary
The government commits to ensuring that, in future, policy development includes a more robust approach to challenging scientific advice. This includes facilitating strong external and structured challenge from international experts and a wider range of disciplines, directly addressing the concern about insufficient international perspectives.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
113
Conclusion
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
It is a characteristic of the best UK scientific institutions, and the people that work in them, that much of their research involves extensive international collaboration. However, for a virus that has affected every country in the world and which was experienced first by other countries, it is also right …
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It is a characteristic of the best UK scientific institutions, and the people that work in them, that much of their research involves extensive international collaboration. However, for a virus that has affected every country in the world and which was experienced first by other countries, it is also right to consider whether our scientific advisory bodies are sufficiently international. This question arises not only in the context of the early decisions on lockdown but, as we will see in Chapter 4, Public Health England’s failure to evidence any formal evaluation of the test and trace policies of countries which had experienced covid before the UK.
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Government response AI summary
The government commits to adopting an approach of greater questioning and challenge in policy development, with Ministers taking a more robust approach to scientific advice, and SAGE facilitating strong external and international expert challenge.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
115
Conclusion
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Although introduced several weeks after it should have been, the national lockdown brought in on 23 March succeeded in reducing the incidence of covid across the country, so that from May 2020 national restrictions were eased. However, tougher restrictions were maintained in areas where infections were higher. For example, the …
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Although introduced several weeks after it should have been, the national lockdown brought in on 23 March succeeded in reducing the incidence of covid across the country, so that from May 2020 national restrictions were eased. However, tougher restrictions were maintained in areas where infections were higher. For example, the City of Leicester remained in lockdown measures from July to September 2020.179 The North West of England had stubbornly high levels of covid throughout the summer, and restrictions were imposed on Liverpool, Greater Manchester, Blackburn, and eventually the whole of the region on 29 September 2020.180
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the committee's observation, acknowledging that it should have acted faster to introduce measures like social distancing, mask-wearing, and an earlier lockdown in the pandemic's early stages. It commits to learning lessons for future public health emergencies, as reflected in the 'Living with …
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
139
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Several public health experts stressed to us that an effective messaging and communications strategy was a crucial part of the response to a pandemic. In July 2020, Sir Paul Nurse argued in evidence to the Health and Social Care Committee that “communication, messaging and keeping trust” should be one of …
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Several public health experts stressed to us that an effective messaging and communications strategy was a crucial part of the response to a pandemic. In July 2020, Sir Paul Nurse argued in evidence to the Health and Social Care Committee that “communication, messaging and keeping trust” should be one of the core focuses of the Government’s strategy.218 This was echoed by Sir Jeremy Farrar, who explicitly linked consistent messaging to public compliance with other NPIs: 211 NERVTAG is an expert committee of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), which advises the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and, through the CMO, Ministers, DHSC and other Government departments. 212 Oral evidence taken before the Science and Technology Committee on 23 December 2020, HC (2019–21) 136, Q1612 213 GOV.UK, ‘Prime Minister’s statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 19 December 2020’, and HC Deb, 6 January 2021, cols 734–736 [Commons Chamber] 214 GOV.UK, ‘Cases in the UK: Coronavirus in the UK—cases by date reported’, accessed 17 August 2021 215 GOV.UK, ‘Deaths in the UK: Coronavirus in the UK—Deaths within 28 days of positive test by date reported’, accessed 17 August 2021 216 Ourworldindata, SARS-CoV-2 variants in analyzed sequences, United Kingdom, accessed 2 September 2021 217 According to the Office for National Statistics, the second wave was estimated to be between 7 September 2020 to 24 April 2021. 218 Oral evidence taken before the Health and Social Care Committee on 21 July 2020, HC (2019–2021) 36, Q589 54 Coronavirus: lessons learned to date Consistent messaging and trust in the messaging is absolutely vital. If you are asking anybody—the community or the public—to do things that they would not normally do, they have to trust the message and the messenger, and that has to be consistent over time.219
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation, committing UKHSA to continue building on lessons learned in health communications. This includes ensuring messaging is clear, consistent, accessible, working with trusted messengers, investing in research, and collaborating with local partners to ensure cultural sensitivity and accessible formats.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
140
Conclusion
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
At the outset of the pandemic, the Prime Minister’s “stay at home” order was accompanied by a public messaging campaign that clearly instructed the public to “stay home, protect the NHS, save lives”. This message was driven by regular televised press conferences from Number 10 Downing Street, during which Ministers …
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At the outset of the pandemic, the Prime Minister’s “stay at home” order was accompanied by a public messaging campaign that clearly instructed the public to “stay home, protect the NHS, save lives”. This message was driven by regular televised press conferences from Number 10 Downing Street, during which Ministers sought to emphasise that the response was “built upon the bedrock of the best possible scientific and medical advice”.220 Professor Whitty credited this initial messaging as “absolutely essential in people understanding what needed to happen, and then doing it.”221 The message was clear in both the instruction it was giving the public, as well as plainly explaining why they were being asked to change their behaviour.
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the (implied) recommendation, committing to ensure future health communications from UKHSA are clear, consistent, and accessible, working with trusted messengers and local partners, and investing in research to understand public compliance.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
141
Conclusion
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Much of the evidence to our inquiry has acknowledged that this “Stay at Home” slogan was successful in fostering sufficient levels of awareness and understanding among the public. For example, during this period there was a marked fall in the number of people travelling on the roads and using recreational …
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Much of the evidence to our inquiry has acknowledged that this “Stay at Home” slogan was successful in fostering sufficient levels of awareness and understanding among the public. For example, during this period there was a marked fall in the number of people travelling on the roads and using recreational areas. Written evidence from the Nuffield Trust attributed this apparent success to the “simplicity and ease of recall” of the message.222 According to Professor Devi Sridhar, Chair of Global Public Health at the University of Edinburgh, the public are more likely to comply with instructions that are clear and easy to understand: You have to take the public with you. The public will comply, not because they are forced to, or because there is military on the streets, but because they want to. People generally want to follow the rules if they understand them.223
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the principle of effective communication, committing to UKHSA ensuring clear, consistent, accessible messaging, working with trusted messengers, investing in research on public motivation, and partnering with local authorities to deliver culturally sensitive and accessible information in various formats.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
142
Conclusion
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Evidence from University College London (UCL) showed that during the first lockdown, the simplicity and clarity of public health messaging did indeed translate into high levels of compliance with the stay at home order. According to UCL, during this period “levels of understanding were reported by individuals to be very …
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Evidence from University College London (UCL) showed that during the first lockdown, the simplicity and clarity of public health messaging did indeed translate into high levels of compliance with the stay at home order. According to UCL, during this period “levels of understanding were reported by individuals to be very high” and simultaneously “over 70% of [70,000] survey respondents reported ‘complete compliance’ with guidelines”.224
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Government response AI summary
The government commits to UKHSA building on lessons learned to ensure clear, consistent, and accessible messaging, working with trusted messengers and local authorities, and investing in research to understand public compliance.
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
143
Conclusion
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Although the communications strategy in the initial phase of the pandemic was broadly successful, it is worth noting that there was some confusion over who the stay at home order applied to, and there was criticism of the Government’s decision not to provide a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter on-set …
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Although the communications strategy in the initial phase of the pandemic was broadly successful, it is worth noting that there was some confusion over who the stay at home order applied to, and there was criticism of the Government’s decision not to provide a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter on-set at the televised briefings. Similar briefings in Scotland and Wales did include an interpreter, socially distanced from Ministers. In the UK, there are more than 80,000 Deaf people whose first language is BSL.225 The decision not 219 Oral evidence taken before the Health and Social Care Committee on 21 July 2020, HC (2019–2021) 36, Q585 220 GOV.UK, Health and Social Care Secretary’s statement on coronavirus (COVID-19), 5 April 2020. 221 Q827 222 Nuffield Trust (CLL0087) 223 Oral evidence taken before the Health and Social Care Committee on 21 July 2020, HC (2019–2021) 36, Q584 224 University College London (CLL0023) 225 Equality and Human Rights Commission, Letter to the Prime Minister, April 2020. Coronavirus: lessons learned to date 55 to include an interpreter at these briefings, where important public health announcements were often made, may have reduced their ability to understand the messages provided and in turn potentially decreased trust and compliance among this group.
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation, recognizing the importance of accessible communication, including British Sign Language, and commits to continuing to work with stakeholders to ensure all messaging is accessible.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
144
Conclusion
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
On 10 May 2020, the Government announced that society would begin to reopen in England through a staged series of lockdown easing measures.226 From this point, there were divergent approaches to messaging across the four nations of the UK. To reflect the gradual lifting of strict lockdown measures in England, …
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On 10 May 2020, the Government announced that society would begin to reopen in England through a staged series of lockdown easing measures.226 From this point, there were divergent approaches to messaging across the four nations of the UK. To reflect the gradual lifting of strict lockdown measures in England, the Government changed its slogan from “stay home, protect the NHS, save lives” to “stay alert, control the virus and save lives”.227 In contrast, during a press conference on the same day, the First Minister of Scotland emphasised that “we remain in lockdown for now and my ask of you remains to Stay at Home”.228
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Government response AI summary
The government commits to UKHSA building on lessons learned to ensure clear, consistent, and accessible messaging, working with trusted messengers and local authorities, and investing in research to understand public compliance.
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
167
Conclusion
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
SAGE minutes from 28 January 2020 recorded that notwithstanding the scientific lead in establishing a test, PHE only had operational capacity to administer “400 to 500 tests per day” for the whole country.248 Other countries such as South Korea and Hong Kong, who did not benefit from our lead in …
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SAGE minutes from 28 January 2020 recorded that notwithstanding the scientific lead in establishing a test, PHE only had operational capacity to administer “400 to 500 tests per day” for the whole country.248 Other countries such as South Korea and Hong Kong, who did not benefit from our lead in producing a test, nevertheless rapidly developed a testing capacity to allow a comprehensive testing programme to be put in place during the early weeks of the pandemic.249 By contrast, during the whole, crucial, period between 25 January and 11 March 2020, in which the virus was spreading across the whole country, only 27,476 coronavirus tests were performed in the UK.250 To put this in context, that is less than one test a day for each parliamentary constituency.
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Government response AI summary
The government committed to building on the pandemic's legacy by ensuring a resilient and scalable test, trace, and isolate infrastructure is in place, and by working closely with local authorities to support future contact tracing and public health emergency responses.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
180
Conclusion
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
The lack of available testing for social care was particularly damaging, as we discuss in more detail later in this Report. Crucially, it was not until mid-April that covid-19 testing was made a requirement for people discharged from hospital to social care—even on 2 April 2020 guidance still stated that …
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The lack of available testing for social care was particularly damaging, as we discuss in more detail later in this Report. Crucially, it was not until mid-April that covid-19 testing was made a requirement for people discharged from hospital to social care—even on 2 April 2020 guidance still stated that negative tests were not required for a discharge to social care.268
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Government response AI summary
The government recognises the impact on the social care sector and points to the existing 'Build Back Better' plan from September 2021, which outlines reforms, funding models, and closer working between health and social care.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
10
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
The resourcing and capabilities of the Civil Contingencies Secretariat should be improved. The Civil Contingencies Secretariat should be empowered to ‘stress test’ plans and to ensure that Departments are able to carry out a contingency plan if required. The details and results of these stress tests should be included in …
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The resourcing and capabilities of the Civil Contingencies Secretariat should be improved. The Civil Contingencies Secretariat should be empowered to ‘stress test’ plans and to ensure that Departments are able to carry out a contingency plan if required. The details and results of these stress tests should be included in the Cabinet Office’s annual report.
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation, stating the CCS will continue developing capabilities, building relationships, challenging assumptions, and testing plans as part of a new cross-government Resilience Strategy, with updates provided through Cabinet Office reports.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
11
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Arrangements should be established and tested to allow immediate flows of data between bodies relevant to an emergency response with a mechanism to resolve immediately and decisively any disputes.
Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation, committing to continuously improve data sharing arrangements for future emergencies by reviewing and developing new agreements, investing in data infrastructure, and strengthening data governance.
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
15
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
The NHS should develop and publish new protocols for infection prevention and control in pandemics covering staffing, bed capacity and physical infrastructure. In developing these protocols the NHS should consider the importance of maintaining access for people accompanying some patients such as advocates for people with learning disabilities and birthing …
Read more
The NHS should develop and publish new protocols for infection prevention and control in pandemics covering staffing, bed capacity and physical infrastructure. In developing these protocols the NHS should consider the importance of maintaining access for people accompanying some patients such as advocates for people with learning disabilities and birthing partners.
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation, stating the NHS is committed to developing new infection prevention and control protocols for pandemics and highlighting existing guidance that emphasizes maintaining access for advocates and birthing partners.
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
25
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
In future an approach of greater questioning and challenge should characterise the development of policy. Ministers should have the confidence to follow a scientific approach themselves—being prepared to take a more robust approach to questioning and challenging the advice given. The Government and SAGE should also facilitate strong external and …
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In future an approach of greater questioning and challenge should characterise the development of policy. Ministers should have the confidence to follow a scientific approach themselves—being prepared to take a more robust approach to questioning and challenging the advice given. The Government and SAGE should also facilitate strong external and structured challenge to scientific advice, including from experts in countries around the world, and a wider range of disciplines.
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Government response AI summary
The government fully accepted the recommendation, reiterating its commitment that future policy development will be characterized by greater questioning and challenge, with ministers taking a more robust approach and SAGE facilitating external and structured scientific challenge.
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
28
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
The Government, via the World Health Organisation, should make the case for an international standard of reporting covid-19 deaths and a framework for reporting disease related deaths for future pandemics. (Paragraph 162) Testing and contact tracing
Government response AI summary
The government accepted the recommendation to advocate for international standards of death reporting via the WHO, noting that the UK already champions mortality surveillance and actively contributes to the development of WHO's International Classification of Diseases standards.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
38
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Scientific excellence is not enough in test and trace programmes: the UK must develop greater operational competence in deployment. In particular, the Government must ensure that both the new UK Health Security Agency and local authorities have the capability and funding to stand up both central surge capacity and locally-driven …
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Scientific excellence is not enough in test and trace programmes: the UK must develop greater operational competence in deployment. In particular, the Government must ensure that both the new UK Health Security Agency and local authorities have the capability and funding to stand up both central surge capacity and locally-driven testing and contact tracing within seven days of a public health emergency being declared.
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation, committing to building a resilient and scalable infrastructure for future public health threats. This includes working closely with local authorities to ensure their capability for future contact tracing and maintaining strong relationships between UKHSA and local tracing arrangements.
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
39
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Public Health England and its successor bodies, as well as Ministers and their scientific advisers, should be more willing to study and emulate the practice of other countries with urgency and agility, especially during a crisis. A culture must be established that looks proactively to collaborate with other organisations, rather …
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Public Health England and its successor bodies, as well as Ministers and their scientific advisers, should be more willing to study and emulate the practice of other countries with urgency and agility, especially during a crisis. A culture must be established that looks proactively to collaborate with other organisations, rather than to reject assistance.
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation but states that PHE and its successor, UKHSA, have always strived to learn from and collaborate with other countries and organisations. UKHSA will continue to share and learn best practices globally and maintain strong international relationships.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
43
Conclusion
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
The covid-19 pandemic has put massive strain on a social care sector already under huge pressure, which has a particular focus on caring for elderly people who have been at the greatest risk of death from covid.
Government response AI summary
The government acknowledged the conclusion and stated it has responded to the strain on the social care sector by outlining the 'Build Back Better' plan, which includes reform, funding proposals, and closer integration with health services.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
46
Conclusion
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Staff shortages, the lack of testing, difficulties in obtaining PPE and the design of care settings to enable communal living hampered isolation and infection control and the ability to keep covid at bay. Social care staff in care homes and providing domiciliary care worked under strenuous conditions, at risk to …
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Staff shortages, the lack of testing, difficulties in obtaining PPE and the design of care settings to enable communal living hampered isolation and infection control and the ability to keep covid at bay. Social care staff in care homes and providing domiciliary care worked under strenuous conditions, at risk to themselves, to provide care to people. (Paragraph 291) Coronavirus: lessons learned to date 131
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledged the impact on the social care sector and highlighted its 'Build Back Better' plan for health and social care, announced in September 2021, which includes a programme of reform, funding proposals, and collaboration with devolved governments.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
47
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Many of these pressures on the social care sector—such as funding and workforce— are longstanding and must be resolved urgently. Pressures on the social care workforce are likely to be compounded this autumn by the mandate that people working in the social care sector must be fully vaccinated to continue …
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Many of these pressures on the social care sector—such as funding and workforce— are longstanding and must be resolved urgently. Pressures on the social care workforce are likely to be compounded this autumn by the mandate that people working in the social care sector must be fully vaccinated to continue to provide care in residential care homes.
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges pressures on the social care sector and references the existing ‘Build Back Better’ plan from September 2021, which includes a reform programme, proposals for a sustainable funding model, and efforts to integrate health and social care.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
48
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Planning for future pandemics should have a more developed and explicit consideration of the intense interaction between the NHS and social care. The prominence of social care within the Department of Health and Social Care should be enhanced and Ministers must address the relative lack of knowledge and experience of …
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Planning for future pandemics should have a more developed and explicit consideration of the intense interaction between the NHS and social care. The prominence of social care within the Department of Health and Social Care should be enhanced and Ministers must address the relative lack of knowledge and experience of social care within the Department and senior levels of the NHS. The Department should ensure that future policy and guidance relating to the sector is well-informed and reflects the diversity of the sector. The Department must also set out how it plans to retain the expertise of the Social Care Taskforce on a more permanent basis.
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Government response AI summary
The government explicitly accepts the recommendation to enhance social care's prominence, address knowledge gaps, ensure informed policy, and retain Social Care Taskforce expertise for future pandemic planning.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
49
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Long term reform of social care is overdue and should be pursued as a matter of urgency. The Government’s recent announcement on the future of social care is welcome, but the long-term future of the sector remains unresolved. We endorse the Health and Social Care Committee’s call for a 10 …
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Long term reform of social care is overdue and should be pursued as a matter of urgency. The Government’s recent announcement on the future of social care is welcome, but the long-term future of the sector remains unresolved. We endorse the Health and Social Care Committee’s call for a 10 Year Plan for Social Care to accompany the 10 Year Plan for the NHS. It must ensure that there is parity between the health and care sectors so that social care is given proper priority in a future crisis.
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Government response AI summary
The government explicitly accepted the recommendation to pursue long-term social care reform urgently and create a 10-Year Plan for Social Care, ensuring parity with the health sector.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
50
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
We endorse the Health and Social Care Committee’s call for additional resources to be directed to social care. That Committee has made the case for an increase of £7 billion a year by 2023/4. We note that despite the Government’s recent announcement the level of new investment in social care …
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We endorse the Health and Social Care Committee’s call for additional resources to be directed to social care. That Committee has made the case for an increase of £7 billion a year by 2023/4. We note that despite the Government’s recent announcement the level of new investment in social care from 2023/24 remains unclear.
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Government response AI summary
The government explicitly accepts the recommendation to direct additional resources to social care, endorsing the Health and Social Care Committee's call for increased funding.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
51
Recommendation
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
The Government should review the provision of infection prevention and control measures, including infection prevention and control nurses, to social care and ensure that social care providers, particularly care homes, are able to conduct regular pandemic preparedness drills. The Government must ensure that care homes have isolation facilities and social …
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The Government should review the provision of infection prevention and control measures, including infection prevention and control nurses, to social care and ensure that social care providers, particularly care homes, are able to conduct regular pandemic preparedness drills. The Government must ensure that care homes have isolation facilities and social care providers are able to provide safe visiting for family and friends of care home residents. (Paragraph 296) At risk communities
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Government response AI summary
The government accepted the recommendation to review infection prevention and control measures in social care, ensure preparedness drills, and guarantee isolation facilities and safe visiting in care homes.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
52
Conclusion
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
The impact of covid-19 has been uneven across the population, with some sections of society suffering significantly higher illness and deaths than the nation as a whole.
Government response AI summary
The government accepts the committee's observation that the impact of COVID-19 was uneven across the population, leading to higher illness and deaths in some sections of society.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
56
Conclusion
Sixth Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Although there was never national NHS guidance to apply “Do not attempt CPR” (DNACPR) notices to people with learning disabilities, there have been widespread concerns that there were cases in which they have been issued inappropriately during the pandemic.
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Although there was never national NHS guidance to apply “Do not attempt CPR” (DNACPR) notices to people with learning disabilities, there have been widespread concerns that there were cases in which they have been issued inappropriately during the pandemic.
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the importance of the concern regarding inappropriate DNACPR notices and details a range of existing and past measures implemented during the pandemic, including GP reviews of DNACPRs, guidance from NHS England, and the commissioning of an acute care toolkit published in April …
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
63
Conclusion
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
The NHS responded quickly and strongly to the demands of the pandemic, but compared to other health systems it “runs hot”—with little spare capacity built in to cope with sudden and unexpected surges of demand such as in a pandemic. Recommendations and lessons learned
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The NHS responded quickly and strongly to the demands of the pandemic, but compared to other health systems it “runs hot”—with little spare capacity built in to cope with sudden and unexpected surges of demand such as in a pandemic. Recommendations and lessons learned
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the NHS's limited surge capacity and states this experience should lead to more explicit, monitored surge capacity in long-term NHS organisation and funding. It also commits to developing new IPC protocols for pandemics and conducting comprehensive analysis of current latent capacity in …
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
73
Recommendation
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Comprehensive analysis should be carried out to assess the safety of running the NHS with the limited latent capacity that it currently has, particularly in Intensive Care Units, critical care units and high dependency units.
Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation by explicitly restating it, indicating that comprehensive analysis will be carried out to assess the safety of the NHS's limited latent capacity, particularly in critical care units.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
74
Recommendation
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Building on the experience of staff working more flexibly during the pandemic and to enable more flexible staffing in the NHS, NHS England and Health Education England should develop proposals to better enable NHS staff to change clinical specialty mid-career and train in sub-specialties. 32 Coronavirus: lessons learned to date …
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Building on the experience of staff working more flexibly during the pandemic and to enable more flexible staffing in the NHS, NHS England and Health Education England should develop proposals to better enable NHS staff to change clinical specialty mid-career and train in sub-specialties. 32 Coronavirus: lessons learned to date 3 Lockdowns and social distancing
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation, stating that NHS England has commissioned Health Education England to develop proposals enabling NHS staff to change clinical specialty mid-career and train in sub-specialties, alongside other initiatives to support flexible working and staff deployment.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
76
Recommendation
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
The veil of ignorance through which the UK viewed the initial weeks of the pandemic was partly self-inflicted. As we examine in depth in Chapter 4, the UK failed to turn an early lead in developing a test for covid in January 2020 into a testing operation that was adequate …
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The veil of ignorance through which the UK viewed the initial weeks of the pandemic was partly self-inflicted. As we examine in depth in Chapter 4, the UK failed to turn an early lead in developing a test for covid in January 2020 into a testing operation that was adequate for the needs of the country—depriving scientists and policymakers of crucial granular data. Our Committees heard that the UK did not take enough advantage of the learning and experience being generated in other countries, notably in East Asia.98 The approach the UK took was particular, and in some respects exceptional.
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Government response AI summary
The government accepted the recommendation, stating that Public Health England, its successors, ministers, and scientific advisers should be more willing to study and emulate practices from other countries, and a culture of proactive collaboration should be established.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
77
Conclusion
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
The initial UK policy was to take a gradual and incremental approach to introducing non-pharmaceutical interventions. A comprehensive lockdown was not ordered until 23 March 2020—two months after SAGE first met to consider the national response to covid- 19.99 This slow and gradualist approach was not inadvertent, nor did it …
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The initial UK policy was to take a gradual and incremental approach to introducing non-pharmaceutical interventions. A comprehensive lockdown was not ordered until 23 March 2020—two months after SAGE first met to consider the national response to covid- 19.99 This slow and gradualist approach was not inadvertent, nor did it reflect bureaucratic delay or disagreement between Ministers and their advisers. It was a deliberate policy— proposed by official scientific advisers and adopted by the Governments of all of the nations of the United Kingdom.100 It is now clear that this was the wrong policy, and that it led to a higher initial death toll than would have resulted from a more emphatic early policy. In a pandemic spreading rapidly and exponentially every week counted. The former SAGE participant Professor Neil Ferguson told the Science and Technology Committee that if the national lockdown had been instituted even a week earlier “we would have reduced the final death toll by at least a half”.101
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Government response AI summary
The government commits that future policy development will be characterised by greater questioning and challenge, with Ministers taking a more robust approach to scientific advice, and SAGE facilitating strong external challenge from diverse experts globally.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
100
Conclusion
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Several witnesses to our inquiry, reflecting on the early weeks of the pandemic, were rueful that they did not sufficiently question and challenge the advice they were being given. We heard that challenging an established scientific consensus was difficult. Dominic Cummings told us: It was clear through all the meetings …
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Several witnesses to our inquiry, reflecting on the early weeks of the pandemic, were rueful that they did not sufficiently question and challenge the advice they were being given. We heard that challenging an established scientific consensus was difficult. Dominic Cummings told us: It was clear through all the meetings with PHE and everybody that everything was going wrong; everything we pushed, everything we probed—everything was wrong, bad, terrible. But I was incredibly frightened—I guess is the word—about the consequences of me kind of pulling a massive emergency string and saying, “The official plan is wrong, and it is going to kill everyone, and you’ve got to change path,” because what if I’m wrong? What if I persuade him [the Prime Minister] to change tack and that is a disaster? Everyone is telling me that if we go down this alternative path, it is going to be five times worse in the winter, and what if that is the consequence?147
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Government response AI summary
The government committed to adopting an approach of greater questioning and challenge in future policy development, stating ministers should be more robust and that SAGE should facilitate strong external and structured challenge to scientific advice.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
101
Conclusion
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
The then Secretary of State, Matt Hancock MP, made the same point regarding the difficulty of challenging a scientific consensus.148 On 28 January 2020, SAGE said that testing asymptomatic individuals would “not be useful”.149 However, at the same meeting, SAGE went on to say that there was “limited evidence of …
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The then Secretary of State, Matt Hancock MP, made the same point regarding the difficulty of challenging a scientific consensus.148 On 28 January 2020, SAGE said that testing asymptomatic individuals would “not be useful”.149 However, at the same meeting, SAGE went on to say that there was “limited evidence of asymptomatic transmission, but early indications imply some is occurring.”150 Matt Hancock told us that he thought asymptomatic transmission was occurring, but he found it difficult to challenge the scientific consensus: I was in a situation of not having hard evidence that a global scientific consensus of decades was wrong but having an instinct that it was. I bitterly regret that I did not overrule that scientific advice at the start and say that we should proceed on the basis that there is asymptomatic transmission until we know there is not, rather than the other way round. But when you are faced with a global consensus, and you do not have the evidence that you are right and the scientific consensus is wrong, it is hard to do that.151 146 For example, see “Coronavirus cases have dropped sharply in South Korea. What’s the secret to its success?”, 17 March 2020; and comments by Prof Balloux and Dr Groppelli, 10 March 2020 147 Q1008 148 Q1302 149 GOV.UK, SAGE 2, paragraph 16, 28 January 2020 150 GOV.UK, SAGE 2, paragraph 16, 28 January 2020 151 Q1302 42 Coronavirus: lessons learned to date We also note that Nobel Laureates Sir Paul Nurse and Sir Peter Ratcliffe wrote to the then Secretary of State to warn about asymptomatic transmission and the need for testing in April 2020. However, they did not receive a substantive response until July and only then from a correspondence clerk rather than the then Secretary of State.152 We continue to await a response from the Department on why action was not taken on asymptomatic transmission and testing earlier.153
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Government response AI summary
The government committed to adopting an approach of greater questioning and challenge in future policy development, stating ministers should be more robust and that SAGE should facilitate strong external and structured challenge to scientific advice.
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
102
Recommendation
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
We accept that it is difficult to challenge a widely held scientific consensus. But accountability in a democracy depends on elected decision-makers taking advice, but examining, questioning and challenging it before making their own decisions. We find it surprising that the fatalistic assumptions behind the initial scientific advice were not …
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We accept that it is difficult to challenge a widely held scientific consensus. But accountability in a democracy depends on elected decision-makers taking advice, but examining, questioning and challenging it before making their own decisions. We find it surprising that the fatalistic assumptions behind the initial scientific advice were not challenged until it became clear the NHS could be overwhelmed, particularly given alternative strategies were being pursued visibly and successfully in East Asian countries. We heard that ‘red teaming’ and structured challenge was used within the national security community, which may also be of benefit to the scientific community.154 Kate Bingham also pointed out that the Government may have benefited from more scientists within the Civil Service155 We acknowledge that the then Secretary of State told us that he had challenged scientific advice regarding asymptomatic transmission.156 However, this came after the key moments in mid-March when challenge was needed most, and after the WHO had warned of asymptomatic transmission. The influence of modelling during the pandemic
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Government response AI summary
The government directly accepted the recommendation, stating that a more robust approach to questioning and challenging scientific advice should characterise future policy development, and that ministers, government, and SAGE should facilitate structured external challenge.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
103
Conclusion
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
In his evidence to the Science and Technology Committee during the early weeks of the pandemic, on 25 March, the Editor of the Lancet expressed concern that mathematical modelling was playing too influential a role in UK scientific advice.157 The prominence of modelling and projections was, and still remains, an …
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In his evidence to the Science and Technology Committee during the early weeks of the pandemic, on 25 March, the Editor of the Lancet expressed concern that mathematical modelling was playing too influential a role in UK scientific advice.157 The prominence of modelling and projections was, and still remains, an important part of the UK’s response to covid-19. Models can be useful and informative to policymakers, but they come with limitations. As Professor Neil Ferguson told the Science and Technology Committee in June 2020, “Models can only be as reliable as the data that is feeding into them.”158 However, we know that—especially in the early stages of the pandemic—there was an acute shortage of good data.159 There was also a limited understanding of the virus early in the pandemic. Key questions, such as the length of immunity conferred by infection, were unknown and hampered accurate modelling.160
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the underlying concern, stating that future policy development will involve greater questioning and challenge from ministers, and SAGE will facilitate strong external and structured challenge to scientific advice from diverse disciplines and international experts.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
105
Conclusion
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Sir John also highlighted concerns about how different academic disciplines did not collaborate sufficiently on models.164 Professor James Poterba, Mitsui Professor of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, explained to the Science and Technology Committee that the consequence of this was that some costs were not factored into models earlier in …
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Sir John also highlighted concerns about how different academic disciplines did not collaborate sufficiently on models.164 Professor James Poterba, Mitsui Professor of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, explained to the Science and Technology Committee that the consequence of this was that some costs were not factored into models earlier in the pandemic: Many in epidemiology and in the health services area have realised that the economic cost of some of the policies their models suggested were very important to understand, and consequently they have become very concerned about building some more economics into those models in various ways.165 161 Oral evidence taken before the Science and Technology Committee on 5 June 2020, HC (2019–21) 136, Qq764– 765 162 Oral evidence taken before the Science and Technology Committee on 5 June 2020, HC (2019–21) 136, Q774 163 Oral evidence taken before the Science and Technology Committee on 5 June 2020, HC (2019–21) 136, Q768 164 Oral evidence taken before the Science and Technology Committee on 5 June 2020, HC (2019–21) 136, Q767 165 Oral evidence taken before the Science and Technology Committee on 5 June 2020, HC (2019–21) 136, Q770 44 Coronavirus: lessons learned to date
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the underlying concern, stating that future policy development will involve greater questioning and challenge from ministers, and SAGE will facilitate strong external and structured challenge to scientific advice from diverse disciplines and international experts.
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
107
Conclusion
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Yet despite this, throughout the pandemic, detailed modelled projections have assumed a great prominence and have evidently had great influence on Government decisions. Indeed, the publication of the Imperial study of 16 March, is often cited as one of the main triggers for the abandonment of the initial policy of …
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Yet despite this, throughout the pandemic, detailed modelled projections have assumed a great prominence and have evidently had great influence on Government decisions. Indeed, the publication of the Imperial study of 16 March, is often cited as one of the main triggers for the abandonment of the initial policy of flattening the peak of covid, and its replacement with the one of suppression, in line with many other countries.167 Assumptions about behavioural compliance
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts that future policy development should be characterised by greater questioning and challenge, urging Ministers to robustly scrutinise advice and for the government and SAGE to facilitate strong external challenge to scientific advice.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
109
Conclusion
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
The initial action plan did not consider the possibility of ceasing all non-essential contact. Dominic Cummings told us that the idea of behavioural fatigue was a part of “false groupthink”: One of the critical things that was completely wrong in the whole official thinking in SAGE and in the Department …
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The initial action plan did not consider the possibility of ceasing all non-essential contact. Dominic Cummings told us that the idea of behavioural fatigue was a part of “false groupthink”: One of the critical things that was completely wrong in the whole official thinking in SAGE and in the Department of Health in February/March was, first of all, the British public would not accept a lockdown and, secondly, the British public would not accept what was thought of as an east Asian-style track and trace-type system and the infringements of liberty around that.170 The then Secretary of State for Health and Social Care also indicated to us in June 2021 that “the clear advice at the time was that there was only a limited period that people would put up with it—would put up with lockdown.”171 On 9 March 2020, Professor Chris Whitty told a Government press conference: It is not just a matter of what you do but when you do it. Anything we do, we have got to be able to sustain. Once we have started these things we have to continue them through the peak and that is for a period of time, and there is a risk that, if we go too early, people will understandably get fatigued and it will be difficult to sustain this over time.172 Further, on 10 March 2020, SAGE said that: 166 Oral evidence taken before the Science and Technology Committee on 3 November 2020, HC (2019–21) 136, Q1438 167 Imperial College London, Report 9—impact on non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to reduce COVID-19 mortality and healthcare demand, 16 March 2020; and BBC News, ‘Coronavirus: UK changes course amid death toll fears’, accessed 17 September 2021 168 GOV.UK, ‘List of participants of SAGE and related sub-groups’, accessed 17 September 2021 169 SPI-B, Risk of public disorder, 25 February 2020 170 Q1002 171 Q1294 172 10 Downing Street YouTube channel, PM Boris Johnson holds a press conference on coronavirus: 9 March 2020, timestamp 8:04, accessed 17 September 2021 Coronavirus: lessons learned to dat
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Government response AI summary
The government commits to a future approach characterized by greater questioning and challenge in policy development. Ministers will robustly challenge scientific advice, and the government and SAGE will facilitate strong external challenge from diverse international experts.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
111
Conclusion
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
The restrictions eventually imposed on the UK public because of the pandemic were unprecedented. Even in wartime there had been no equivalent of the order to make it a criminal offence for people to meet each other and to remain in their homes other than for specified reasons. In advance, …
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The restrictions eventually imposed on the UK public because of the pandemic were unprecedented. Even in wartime there had been no equivalent of the order to make it a criminal offence for people to meet each other and to remain in their homes other than for specified reasons. In advance, it may not have been unreasonable to assume that the public would have a limited tolerance of such draconian restrictions. But that assumption turned out to be wrong. In the event, compliance with social distancing measures was at a level and for a duration beyond what was anticipated. If a belief that people would not comply delayed a full lockdown, and caused an initially limited set of non-pharmaceutical interventions to be adopted, this was a poor guide to policy. Was scientific advice sufficiently internationally diverse?
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Government response AI summary
The government commits to adopting a future approach of greater questioning and challenge in policy development, encouraging ministers to challenge advice and facilitating strong external and international expert challenge to scientific advice.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
148
Conclusion
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Lower levels of public trust and understanding of the regulations also created a gap into which misinformation was able to spread. Research conducted by Ofcom in the first six weeks of the pandemic found that 47% of respondents said they had come across false or misleading information about covid-19 in …
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Lower levels of public trust and understanding of the regulations also created a gap into which misinformation was able to spread. Research conducted by Ofcom in the first six weeks of the pandemic found that 47% of respondents said they had come across false or misleading information about covid-19 in the last week. Most commonly, respondents indicated that the misinformation they encountered was linked to “theories linking the origins or causes of covid-19 to 5G technology”.236 More recently, a study conducted by King’s College London in November 2020 found that 14% of respondents “believe the real purpose of a mass vaccination programme against coronavirus is simply to track and control the population”.237 Susceptibility to covid-19 misinformation has many causes, but research has found that lower levels of trust in both scientists and Government are associated with increased susceptibility to misinformation.238 This highlights the critical importance of a communications strategy which is clear, consistent and perceived as transparent by the public. Outcomes
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees on the importance of public health communications but highlights its past messaging as strong and effective, without committing to new actions or a revised strategy to address current issues with trust and misinformation.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
150
Conclusion
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
One of the key ways to measure a country’s success in fighting covid-19 is to measure deaths from covid-19. However, countries across the world measure deaths in different ways. The UK has reported covid deaths as those who died within 28 days of a positive test. The UK also offers …
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One of the key ways to measure a country’s success in fighting covid-19 is to measure deaths from covid-19. However, countries across the world measure deaths in different ways. The UK has reported covid deaths as those who died within 28 days of a positive test. The UK also offers statistics on daily deaths with covid-19 on the death certificate. The US Centres for Disease Control includes both confirmed and probable cases and deaths.239 The historian, Professor Niall Ferguson, told the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee: I actually think there is a better way of looking at this, which is to look at excess mortality. We don’t have excess mortality data for all the countries in the world, but if you look at the ones for which we do have data, the UK and the US are firmly in the middle of the table, with 17% or 18% excess mortality, close to Belgium, close to Italy, close to Spain. 235 Q1115 236 Ofcom, ‘covid-19 news and information: consumption and attitudes- previous results’, accessed 17 September 2021 237 Kings College London, Coronavirus: vaccine misinformation and the role of social media, December 2020 238 See, for example: The Royal Society, Susceptibility to misinformation about COVID-19 around the world, October 2020; The Royal Society, COVID-19 vaccine deployment: Behaviour, ethics, misinformation and policy strategies, October 2020 239 CDC, ‘United States COVID-19 Cases and Deaths by State over Time’, accessed 17 September 2021 Coronavirus: lessons learned to date 57 Some countries in Europe did slightly better—France, Sweden, Switzerland— but there are a great many countries that did a good deal worse. I won’t recap the countries you are expecting to hear—once again, it is Latin American and east European countries that have the worst excess mortality. Of course, some countries in Europe have done significantly better, to the point, in the case of Denmark, of having no excess mortality, or virtually none in Norway. I think this is probably the be
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Government response AI summary
The government states it will, via the World Health Organisation, advocate for an international standard for reporting COVID-19 deaths and a framework for reporting disease-related deaths in future pandemics.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
159
Recommendation
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
In future an approach of greater questioning and challenge should characterise the development of policy. Ministers should have the confidence to follow a scientific approach themselves—being prepared to take a more robust approach to questioning and challenging the advice given. The Government and SAGE should also facilitate strong external and …
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In future an approach of greater questioning and challenge should characterise the development of policy. Ministers should have the confidence to follow a scientific approach themselves—being prepared to take a more robust approach to questioning and challenging the advice given. The Government and SAGE should also facilitate strong external and structured challenge to scientific advice, including from experts in countries around the world, and a wider range of disciplines.
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Government response AI summary
The government fully accepts the recommendation, reiterating that a greater questioning and challenging approach should characterize policy development, with Ministers taking a robust approach to scientific advice and facilitating external and structured challenge from diverse global experts.
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
161
Recommendation
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
In a pandemic, the scientific advice from the SAGE co-chairs to the Government should be published within 24 hours of it being given, or the policy being decided, whichever is the later, to ensure the opportunity for rapid scientific challenge and guard against the risk of ‘groupthink’. In addition, minutes …
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In a pandemic, the scientific advice from the SAGE co-chairs to the Government should be published within 24 hours of it being given, or the policy being decided, whichever is the later, to ensure the opportunity for rapid scientific challenge and guard against the risk of ‘groupthink’. In addition, minutes and SAGE papers should be published within 48 hours of the meeting taking place.
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation and commits to publishing scientific advice from SAGE co-chairs within 24 hours of being given or policy being decided, and SAGE minutes and papers within 48 hours of meetings.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
167
Conclusion
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
SAGE minutes from 28 January 2020 recorded that notwithstanding the scientific lead in establishing a test, PHE only had operational capacity to administer “400 to 500 tests per day” for the whole country.248 Other countries such as South Korea and Hong Kong, who did not benefit from our lead in …
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SAGE minutes from 28 January 2020 recorded that notwithstanding the scientific lead in establishing a test, PHE only had operational capacity to administer “400 to 500 tests per day” for the whole country.248 Other countries such as South Korea and Hong Kong, who did not benefit from our lead in producing a test, nevertheless rapidly developed a testing capacity to allow a comprehensive testing programme to be put in place during the early weeks of the pandemic.249 By contrast, during the whole, crucial, period between 25 January and 11 March 2020, in which the virus was spreading across the whole country, only 27,476 coronavirus tests were performed in the UK.250 To put this in context, that is less than one test a day for each parliamentary constituency.
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Government response AI summary
The government commits to building a resilient and scalable test, trace, and isolate infrastructure for future threats, working with local authorities to ensure future contact tracing capabilities, and leveraging UKHSA's established relationships.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
194
Recommendation
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
During the summer of 2020, rates of covid infection declined markedly in most parts of the United Kingdom. Average hospitalisations from covid fell to 119 per day on 1 August 2020 compared to 3,000 per day in early April. Yet as soon as infections began to rise in September 2020—when …
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During the summer of 2020, rates of covid infection declined markedly in most parts of the United Kingdom. Average hospitalisations from covid fell to 119 per day on 1 August 2020 compared to 3,000 per day in early April. Yet as soon as infections began to rise in September 2020—when schools, universities and many workplaces returned after the summer holidays—the test and trace system was found once again wanting. A period of relative calm in August did not appear to have been used to anticipate and prepare for what was likely to be needed during the Autumn. 289 GOV.UK, ‘Prime Minister’s statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 9 September 2020’, accessed 17 September 2021 290 GOV.UK, ‘Prime Minister’s statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 9 September 2020’, accessed 17 September 2021 291 Independent, ‘Boris Johnson’s plans for mass coronavirus testing may not work, government’s top scientific adviser warns’, 10 September 2020 292 Multidisciplinary Task and Finish Group on Mass Testing, Consensus Statement for SAGE, 31 August 2020 293 GOV.UK, ‘Liverpool to be regularly tested for coronavirus in first whole city testing pilot: 3 November 2020’, accessed 17 September 2021 294 GOV.UK, Twice weekly rapid testing to be available to everyone in England: 5 April 2021, accessed 17 September 2021 295 National Audit Office, The government’s approach to test and trace in England—interim report, 11 December 2020, page 36 296 British Medical Journal, Government plans to spend £100bn on expanding testing to 10 million a day, 9 September 2020 297 Multidisciplinary Task and Finish Group on Mass Testing, Consensus Statement for SAGE, 31 August 2020 Coronavirus: lessons learned to date 69
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation to ensure robust plans for rapidly scaling up test, trace, and isolate programmes in future health emergencies. It highlights UKHSA's existing capacity for PCR and LFD testing, its ability to scale up within 72 hours, and its commitment to continuing …
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
195
Conclusion
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Despite undergoing a large increase in testing capacity over the first lockdown period— reaching over 200,000 daily tests by the beginning of June 2020298—the test and trace service in England then struggled to keep up with a sharp increase in demand following the reopening of schools and universities in September …
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Despite undergoing a large increase in testing capacity over the first lockdown period— reaching over 200,000 daily tests by the beginning of June 2020298—the test and trace service in England then struggled to keep up with a sharp increase in demand following the reopening of schools and universities in September 2020. To tackle that increase, NHS Test and Trace had to “limit the number of tests available, lengthen turnaround times, and commission extra assistance from NHS and ‘surge’ laboratories”.299 The Government was also forced to prioritise testing for those in the NHS and in care homes, as explained by the then Executive Chair of NHS Test and Trace, Baroness Harding.300
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation, affirming the importance of rapidly scaling up test, trace, and isolate programmes. It highlights UKHSA's current capacity (700k-800k PCR tests/day and 2.5m LFD tests/day) and commits to continue developing capacity and ensuring a resilient infrastructure for future health threats.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
196
Conclusion
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
During September 2020, the Science and Technology Committee heard from Baroness Harding that NHS Test and Trace had “planned for a sizeable increase” but that she “[did] not think anybody was expecting” the level of demand experienced.301 She explained one reason for the surge was that a proportion of ineligible …
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During September 2020, the Science and Technology Committee heard from Baroness Harding that NHS Test and Trace had “planned for a sizeable increase” but that she “[did] not think anybody was expecting” the level of demand experienced.301 She explained one reason for the surge was that a proportion of ineligible individuals were showing up to receive covid-19 tests: we have been running some surveys […] 27% [of visitors to walk-in testing sites] said they were there because they had been in contact with someone who had tested positive, but they did not have symptoms themselves.302 This should not have been quite so unpredictable given previous advice by the then Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to get a test “if in doubt and if people think they might have the symptoms”.303 The demand for testing might also have been compounded by an issue later raised by Professor Sir John Bell that “95% of people with [perceived] symptoms do not have the disease”.304
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation, agreeing on the importance of robust plans and capabilities to rapidly scale up test, trace, and isolate programmes in future emergencies. It details UKHSA's current surge capacity (700k-800k PCR tests/day and 2.5m LFD tests/day) and commits to continuing capacity development …
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
197
Conclusion
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
The NAO’s December 2020 report pointed out further that NHS Test and Trace was unable to meet demand due to insufficient laboratory capacity as a result of: • delays in getting new laboratories up and running; • delays in delivering testing equipment, including supply chain problems with swabs, screening kits …
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The NAO’s December 2020 report pointed out further that NHS Test and Trace was unable to meet demand due to insufficient laboratory capacity as a result of: • delays in getting new laboratories up and running; • delays in delivering testing equipment, including supply chain problems with swabs, screening kits and testing reagents; and • difficulties in staffing new laboratories.305
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation, affirming the importance of rapidly scaling up test, trace, and isolate programmes in future health emergencies. It details UKHSA's current surge capacity (700k-800k PCR tests/day and 2.5m LFD tests/day) and commits to continuing capacity development and ensuring a resilient, scalable …
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
198
Recommendation
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Two months earlier, in July 2020, the Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, told the Science and Technology Committee that extra testing capacity would be “essential” ahead of schools reopening.306 However, he suggested that the Government did 298 GOV.UK, UK reaches 200,000 coronavirus testing capacity target a day early: …
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Two months earlier, in July 2020, the Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, told the Science and Technology Committee that extra testing capacity would be “essential” ahead of schools reopening.306 However, he suggested that the Government did 298 GOV.UK, UK reaches 200,000 coronavirus testing capacity target a day early: 31 May 2020, accessed 17 September 2021 299 National Audit Office, The government’s approach to test and trace in England—interim report, 11 December 2020, page 10 300 Oral evidence taken before the Science and Technology Committee on 17 September 2020, HC (2019–21) 136, Qq1327–1329 301 Oral evidence taken before the Science and Technology Committee on 17 September 2020, HC (2019–21) 136, Qq1314–1326 302 Oral evidence taken before the Science and Technology Committee on 17 September 2020, HC (2019–21) 136, Q1306 303 HC Deb, 20 July 2020, col 1855 [Commons Chamber] 304 Q346 305 National Audit Office, The government’s approach to test and trace in England—interim report, 11 December 2020, page 50 306 Oral evidence taken before the Science and Technology Committee on 16 July 2020, HC (2019–21) 136, Qq1149– 1154 70 Coronavirus: lessons learned to date not have the capacity to meet the potential demand of over 350,000 tests per day, a figure suggested by the Academy of Medical Sciences at the time.307 Nevertheless, Baroness Harding suggested that the level of demand encountered in September was “in none of the modelling” used by NHS Test and Trace to assess capacity.308 She told the Science and Technology Committee that capacity plans had been “based on SAGE modelling for what we should be preparing for in the autumn”, and that it was SAGE’s assessment rather than NHS Test and Trace’s.309 However, she later wrote to the Committee in a follow-up letter to clarify that SAGE had not informed the capacity targets: SAGE has not been responsible for providing modelling analysis on operational testing capacity […] In order to model and for
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation to ensure robust plans for rapidly scaling up test, trace, and isolate programmes in future health emergencies. It states UKHSA already has significant PCR and LFD testing capacity and commits to continuing to develop capabilities and ensure resilient infrastructure.
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
4
Conclusion
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
The Civil Contingencies Secretariat did not have adequate resources to maintain a substantial standing capability to survey the development of potential threats, and it had a limited reach into the range of Government departments required to respond to a pandemic. The experience has been that this investment in resilience is …
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The Civil Contingencies Secretariat did not have adequate resources to maintain a substantial standing capability to survey the development of potential threats, and it had a limited reach into the range of Government departments required to respond to a pandemic. The experience has been that this investment in resilience is at risk of being trumped by the day-to-day pressures of Government.
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Government response AI summary
The government states it accepts the recommendation and details that the resourcing and capabilities of the Civil Contingencies Secretariat (CCS) have already been improved, with additional staff, a restructured secretariat, and transferred functions.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
6
Conclusion
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
The NHS responded quickly and strongly to the demands of the pandemic, but compared to other health systems it “runs hot”—with little spare capacity built in to cope with sudden and unexpected surges of demand such as in a pandemic.
Government response AI summary
The government accepts the conclusion that the NHS runs hot with little spare capacity, outlining existing steps taken to increase capacity, including beds and staff, and committing to future investment in additional capacity and improved management.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
11
Recommendation
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Arrangements should be established and tested to allow immediate flows of data between bodies relevant to an emergency response with a mechanism to resolve immediately and decisively any disputes.
Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation and is actively working to improve data sharing arrangements, including developing a data strategy via the Civil Contingencies Secretariat, and affirms existing mechanisms are in place for dispute resolution.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
12
Recommendation
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
The Armed Forces should have a more central and standing role in preparing for and responding to emergencies like pandemics, given the depth of capability and experience they have in planning, logistics and rapid mobilisation. The Civil Contingencies Secretariat should work with the Armed Forces to improve operational expertise in …
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The Armed Forces should have a more central and standing role in preparing for and responding to emergencies like pandemics, given the depth of capability and experience they have in planning, logistics and rapid mobilisation. The Civil Contingencies Secretariat should work with the Armed Forces to improve operational expertise in emergencies in public bodies.
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation, highlighting the existing established role of the Armed Forces in supporting UK resilience and the collaborative work between the MoD, CCS, and civil authorities, and commits to continuing to improve this collaboration.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
20
Conclusion
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
There are several possible explanations for what was a significant error in policy and advice early in the pandemic. These include: • the lack of adequate data on the spread of covid-19, as a result of the inadequacy of the UK testing operation; • overreliance on specific mathematical models when …
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There are several possible explanations for what was a significant error in policy and advice early in the pandemic. These include: • the lack of adequate data on the spread of covid-19, as a result of the inadequacy of the UK testing operation; • overreliance on specific mathematical models when there were too many uncertainties; • assumptions about public compliance with rules that turned out to have underestimated the willingness to conform even for long periods; • the composition of SAGE suffered from a lack of representation from outside the United Kingdom; and • a preference for a particular UK approach may have been favoured above advice based on emulation of what was being pursued elsewhere. (Paragraph 154) Coronavirus: lessons learned to date 127
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation, committing to ensuring future policy is developed through robust questioning, drawing on diverse expertise, and continuously learning lessons. It notes the Cabinet Office and Government Office for Science are leading work to strengthen government's futures capability, including external challenge and …
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
32
Conclusion
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
The new Test and Trace operation eventually established in May 2020 was a step in the right direction but set up much too late. Because of that delay there was huge pressure to get results quickly which meant that it followed a centralised model initially, meaning assistance from laboratories outside …
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The new Test and Trace operation eventually established in May 2020 was a step in the right direction but set up much too late. Because of that delay there was huge pressure to get results quickly which meant that it followed a centralised model initially, meaning assistance from laboratories outside PHE—particularly university laboratories—was rebuffed. The same was true for contact tracing, where the established capabilities of local Directors of Public Health and their teams were Coronavirus: lessons learned to date 129 not effectively harnessed during the initial response to the pandemic, despite local approaches providing effective in places where they were pursued. It is now clear that the optimal structure for test and trace is one that is locally driven with the ability to draw on central surge capacity—but it took the best part of a year to get to that point. In short, implementation was too centralised when it ought to have been more decentralised.
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the observation, committing to strengthening proactive collaboration and confirming that UKHSA will maintain established relationships with local tracing arrangements.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
35
Recommendation
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
The Test and Trace organisation has not, despite its branding, been run by the NHS, and has seen senior executives brought in from external bodies for short term contracts which reduces the institutional learning, from what was an intense period, that has been retained. It is a major concern that …
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The Test and Trace organisation has not, despite its branding, been run by the NHS, and has seen senior executives brought in from external bodies for short term contracts which reduces the institutional learning, from what was an intense period, that has been retained. It is a major concern that the new organisation responsible for test and trace is opaque in its structure and organisation.
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation for transparency, stating that UKHSA already operates within transparency guidance, publishes a wide range of operational data, and releases contracts over £10,000 within 90 days. It also reaffirms its commitment to using lessons learned for future public health planning.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
36
Recommendation
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Partly because it was set up too late, NHS Test and Trace ultimately fell short of the expectations set for it. It has failed to make a significant enough impact on the course of the pandemic to justify the level of public investment it received. It clearly failed on its …
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Partly because it was set up too late, NHS Test and Trace ultimately fell short of the expectations set for it. It has failed to make a significant enough impact on the course of the pandemic to justify the level of public investment it received. It clearly failed on its own terms, given its aim in September to “avoid the need for a second lockdown” by contributing to a reduction in the ‘R’ number. While we acknowledge that test, trace and isolate activities are just one—albeit crucial—component of the measures undertaken to tackle covid-19, NHS Test and Trace (NHSTT) clearly failed to achieve this central objective. NHSTT has also consistently failed to reach the 72- hour turnaround time as identified as necessary by SAGE, including a significant failure in September 2020. Further, although the Government first described the impact of NHSTT on reducing ‘R’ in December, it took an unacceptably long two months before the evidence and analysis behind this assertion was made public. When it was published it became clear that the analysis was outdated, invalidating claims made at the time. The use of inaccurate data and the lack of transparency impeded effective public scrutiny at a crucial time in the pandemic.
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation to ensure robust and scalable test, trace, and isolate programmes for future health emergencies. It highlights UKHSA's current capacity to conduct and scale up PCR and LFD testing within 72 hours, and commits to continuing to develop its capabilities and …
Read full response →
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
47
Recommendation
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Many of these pressures on the social care sector—such as funding and workforce— are longstanding and must be resolved urgently. Pressures on the social care workforce are likely to be compounded this autumn by the mandate that people working in the social care sector must be fully vaccinated to continue …
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Many of these pressures on the social care sector—such as funding and workforce— are longstanding and must be resolved urgently. Pressures on the social care workforce are likely to be compounded this autumn by the mandate that people working in the social care sector must be fully vaccinated to continue to provide care in residential care homes.
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the longstanding pressures on the social care sector and states its 'Build Back Better' plan addresses these through a clear programme of reform, proposals for a sustainable funding model, and initiatives to integrate health and social care.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
48
Recommendation
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Planning for future pandemics should have a more developed and explicit consideration of the intense interaction between the NHS and social care. The prominence of social care within the Department of Health and Social Care should be enhanced and Ministers must address the relative lack of knowledge and experience of …
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Planning for future pandemics should have a more developed and explicit consideration of the intense interaction between the NHS and social care. The prominence of social care within the Department of Health and Social Care should be enhanced and Ministers must address the relative lack of knowledge and experience of social care within the Department and senior levels of the NHS. The Department should ensure that future policy and guidance relating to the sector is well-informed and reflects the diversity of the sector. The Department must also set out how it plans to retain the expertise of the Social Care Taskforce on a more permanent basis.
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation, stating it is committed to better preparing the social care sector and has acted to enhance social care's prominence within DHSC and NHS. It outlines plans to retain Social Care Taskforce expertise and details specific funding and initiatives from the …
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
49
Recommendation
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Long term reform of social care is overdue and should be pursued as a matter of urgency. The Government’s recent announcement on the future of social care is welcome, but the long-term future of the sector remains unresolved. We endorse the Health and Social Care Committee’s call for a 10 …
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Long term reform of social care is overdue and should be pursued as a matter of urgency. The Government’s recent announcement on the future of social care is welcome, but the long-term future of the sector remains unresolved. We endorse the Health and Social Care Committee’s call for a 10 Year Plan for Social Care to accompany the 10 Year Plan for the NHS. It must ensure that there is parity between the health and care sectors so that social care is given proper priority in a future crisis.
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation and commits to publishing a white paper that will set out a 10-year vision for social care reform, addressing the call for urgency and parity with the NHS.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
51
Recommendation
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
The Government should review the provision of infection prevention and control measures, including infection prevention and control nurses, to social care and ensure that social care providers, particularly care homes, are able to conduct regular pandemic preparedness drills. The Government must ensure that care homes have isolation facilities and social …
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The Government should review the provision of infection prevention and control measures, including infection prevention and control nurses, to social care and ensure that social care providers, particularly care homes, are able to conduct regular pandemic preparedness drills. The Government must ensure that care homes have isolation facilities and social care providers are able to provide safe visiting for family and friends of care home residents. (Paragraph 296) At risk communities
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation and is funding IPC training for social care staff, providing free PPE until March 2023, has launched an Infection Control Fund, and provides updated guidance on care home visiting.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
55
Conclusion
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
People with learning disabilities have experienced significantly higher death rates from covid-19 than the country as a whole. Deaths have been especially high among younger adults with learning disabilities. Initial research suggests that people with learning disabilities entered the pandemic from a position of heightened vulnerability because of existing comorbidities. …
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People with learning disabilities have experienced significantly higher death rates from covid-19 than the country as a whole. Deaths have been especially high among younger adults with learning disabilities. Initial research suggests that people with learning disabilities entered the pandemic from a position of heightened vulnerability because of existing comorbidities. This was compounded by particular barriers to accessing NHS treatment during the pandemic arising from restrictions on non- covid care and limits on the ability of carers and advocates to attend hospital with people with learning disabilities.
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Government response AI summary
The government states it accepts the recommendation and details a range of measures already implemented throughout the pandemic, including increased testing, new guidance, blended annual health checks, and a newly published acute care toolkit.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care
56
Conclusion
Third Report - Coronavirus: lessons lea…
Accepted
Although there was never national NHS guidance to apply “Do not attempt CPR” (DNACPR) notices to people with learning disabilities, there have been widespread concerns that there were cases in which they have been issued inappropriately during the pandemic.
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Although there was never national NHS guidance to apply “Do not attempt CPR” (DNACPR) notices to people with learning disabilities, there have been widespread concerns that there were cases in which they have been issued inappropriately during the pandemic.
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Government response AI summary
The government states it accepts the importance of clear DNACPR guidance, noting it aligns with ongoing work by the Ministerial Oversight Group. It highlights the publication of Universal Principles for Advance Care Planning and patient-facing guidance on nhs.uk as existing actions addressing the concern.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Department of Health and Social Care